Why did I start my Soup Club?
We are runners and when we aren’t eating we are talking about food and cooking and fueling for running. Throw in the fact that we are all super busy moms it just seems like a natural fit. That’s how my Soup Club was born!
How does it work?
We have a group of 10-12 friends who are divided into 2 groups of 4-6. There will always be one or two that can’t make it. We are divided into “vegetarian” and “non-vegetarian”. Some people rotate between the two groups. It’s easy to set up groups that would be gluten free or whole 30 for example to meet the needs of your specific members.
Each person will prepare soup to give to the other 3-4 people in their group. We meet up once a month to swap soups with the other people in our group. Everyone uses the same size containers ( 1quart) that can be frozen or used right away. The next month you come back with the same containers recycled with the new soups.
Each person arrives with their soups, recipes printed out, and any special instructions. Everyone leaves with 3-4 soups for the week.
How to start a soup club?
Start off by inviting 8-12 friends to join your club. As I mentioned, it’s nice to have some alternates. I have found cooking for 3-4 other people to be the optimal number for each group. Each person makes soup in the same size (1 quart) container that can be frozen and also is reused the following month. No need to get the containers back to the cook, we just reuse them. These work really well.
Next, determine if there are any food allergies or dietary concerns and make sure that everyone is aware of them. We have 2 groups “vegetarian” and “non-vegetarian” which works perfectly for us and also allows some people to switch back and forth between the two.
Set a definite date so that people can commit. We do ours on the first Sunday of the month in the late afternoon. We ask everyone to bring a printed copy of their recipe and any specific reheating instructions.
I suggest starting a FB messenger group with your soup participants so that people can ask questions and share their recipe ideas beforehand. Emails tend to get lost and confusing when you have so many people on a chain and the FB group seems to work best for us.
A few of my past favorite soups:
Spicy Thai Tofu Noodle
5 Ingredient Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Tuscan Tomato Tortellini Soup
Connecting with your friends and family over food just feels good. We can all use a little feeling good right now. Ready to start your own Soup Club? Let me know how it goes.
What a great idea! We used to have a book club…I wonder if my friends would do the soup club!
WE love it hope you give it a try it’s fun
What a fun idea! We had a soup potluck at work last year and it was a big hit!
It is a lot of fun isn’t it?!
How much fun! I need to get some girlfriends together to do this!
I think you would love it!
What a great idea! When I’m not working out literally all I’m thinking and talking about is food, lol! And I love trying and sharing new recipes!
I know it’s funny how we all talk about food all the time!
I would have never thought of this idea in a million years but its fabulous! Great way to stock the freezer.
Yes it is! Hope you try it out
This actually does sound like a lot of fun…kinda of like a book club but better because it revolves around food 🙂
Exactly!!
This is such a great idea! I wish we lived closer I’d be in on this club!! I always make big batches of soup so this would be perfect and I love that it would give me a chance to change things up and try new things with a quick and easy soup I can pull from the freezer!
Oh how great would it be to have you in my club?!
I love that you have a soup club!! So cool and such a great idea!
It’s so much fun!
What a great idea! I always love sharing food with friends 🙂
Food & friends are the best combo!
Cook book and soup clubs are so much fun. This will be perfect for the coming months! You better be posting some recipes!
Don’t you worry! Recipes coming
I love this idea! I’m so glad you shared how you started this club!
It’s been great so far we all love it
I’d just rather have you relocate to sunny (and tropical) Iowa and be my personal chef. What ya say? Seriously, I do not make soup very often and that needs to change. I even have two crock pots, so I have ZERO excuses. Thanks for the kick in the buttocks 😉
Ha ha I so wish I could hang out with you how much fun would that be!?
Soup is awesome! I love the idea of a soup club, especially this time of year! What a great way to get some new recipes and have something quick on hand!
Yes exactly and it’s social
This is such a good idea, great article thanks for sharing!
Thanks it’s a fun one
Um, I freaking love this idea! I did this last year with freezer meals, but soup would be sooo easy and perfect for the colder months! <3
Oh yes you have to do it!!
This is such a brilliant idea! Now tell me, when you get together to swap soups, do you share soup (or a meal!) together too?
So usually we just do some snacks and wine but you could!
Yes, I am ready! I am so sharing this idea- thanks for blogging about it again 🙂 Some of us need more than one reminder! 🙂
Ha ha happy to remind!
I remember when you did this last year. Such a fun idea!
We all loved it so much we had to start it again
Geez. That is soooo much better than a cookie swap. Hmmmm. I wonder if I have the time/energy to do this. Hmmmm.
OH yes you do! It’s really not that hard to organize
This is such a brilliant idea! Especially this time of year. Cooking clubs just seem like so much fun.
WE have the best time! Food & friends are the best combo